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Determining the Willingness of Australians to Export Their Corneas on Death
42 Pages Posted: 16 Sep 2020
More...Abstract
Background: 12.7 million people await a corneal transplant, but 53% are without access to corneal tissue. Sharing corneal tissue across nations can provide some access, however the willingness of export populations, like Australians, to export their donation on death, has never been evaluated. Our research samples the Australian population, determining their willingness to export.
Method: We conducted e-surveys. N=1044 Australians participated. The sample represented the Australian population, based on population demographics. Chi-Square and bivariate correlation coefficients examined associations between continuous variables, with a sample size of N=1044, power of 0.80, and alpha of p = 0.05. Outcome measures were based on population sampling, by exploring willingness export, through the e-survey method.
Findings: 38% (n=397) of respondents said yes to exportation, 23.8% (n=248) said no, and 38.2% (n=399) were undecided. We found no relationship between willingness to export and general demographics, though those registered on the Donatelife Register (p= < .001), and those already willing to donate their eyes (p= < .001) were significantly more willing to export.
Interpretation: More Australians are willing to export their corneas than not, though a significant portion remain undecided. The Donatelife Register and donation awareness are key components of respondent decision making. Therefore, provision of information about exportation prior to, and at the point-of-donation, is essential for assisting Australian’s to decide to export or not. Further examination and development of consent-for-export systems are necessary before routine exportation is undertaken.
Funding: National Health and Medical Research Council; Lions Eye Bank of Western Australia.
Declaration of Interests: Authors have no competing or conflicting interest.
Ethics Approval Statement: Approval for this study was obtained from the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital’s Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC#18-1374H).
Keywords: Transnational activity, cornea, transplant, Australia, consent, donation
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation